


Streaks In Gold

by OBRGSHFTR



Series: Hannah's Adachi Ventures [1]
Category: Persona 4
Genre: Accomplice Ending (Persona 4), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Apathy, Apathy Syndrome, Depression, Eventual Smut, F/M, Lovesickness, Mutual Pining, Public Display of Affection, Rating May Change, References to Drugs, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-09-17
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:34:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22137127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OBRGSHFTR/pseuds/OBRGSHFTR
Summary: When you and your brother arrive to the town of Inaba, your lack of interest skyrockets after murders and kidnappings start occurring, which piques your interest in one specific man.
Relationships: Adachi Tohru/Reader
Series: Hannah's Adachi Ventures [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2169309
Comments: 1
Kudos: 41





	1. Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! After taking a long hiatus from writing, I've decided to make a comeback in the form of this fic. Hope you all enjoy this!

It was morning. Your head was pressed against the train window, your eyes watching the sun. In between your legs, was your suitcase, alongside a backpack which rested on your lap. Your brother, Yu (L/N), was sitting in front of you, also staring into his own window.

Your eyes dwindled down to your phone, displaying the date; 04/11, a monday. It was infact just a monday morning like this many months ago that you were informed of today's events. The day you and your brother were told that you had to temporarily move to Inaba because of your parents work. Yu thought the move would be something fun and interesting, he though you and him would have a great time, to which you had mixed feelings on the trip. Your feelings ranged from being happy that you could experience something different from your hometown, to slightly upset that said place was a town in the middle of nowhere. 

Not that you had any issue with the countryside - infact, some of your favourite childhood memories were your holiday visits to the country, however, after researching about the town of Inaba, you found that, other than a popular inn, there wasn't much there to see, leaving you a feeling of disappointment.

Sitting on the train, you cooked up a conversation with Yu, attempting to stimulate your brain after a tiring morning. Green fields and wide lakes scrolled by the window, mixing the mossy colours as they moved. Halfway through your conversation, Yu suddenly spaced out. "Hey! Earth to Yu!" You snapped at him. In a split second his eyes briefly flickered a shade of yellow, the sickly colours clouding his foreign eyes. It honestly creeped you out. As if a beep went off in his head, he suddenly regained attention, eyes returning to their natural colour. "Sorry, I'm just a little tired from this morning." He rubbed his head. "Same." Even though Yu regained his normality, your fearful expression still remained. A minute later Yu's phone buzzed with a message, expectantly, it was from the man you two were going to stay with. "It's from our uncle. He'll be ready to meet us outside at 4pm." He read. 

After a little while you arrived at your destination, and exited the train station, grabbing your luggage on the way out. "Hey! Over here!" A man called out. Your eyes trailed towards the voices origin, and you instantly recognised the source as your uncle. He made his introduction brief and short. You were then introduced to his daughter; your little cousin, Nanako. During the drive back to his residence, Dojima stopped off to get some gas, to in turn letting Nanako get a bathroom break. You took this opportunity to check your phone, for any messages from friends or family. You noticed Yu talking to the attendant. Eager to butt in on something potentially interesting, your body acted on it's own, and you got out the car. The conversation that proceeded to be created, was mostly you and the unknown man lamenting about how little you could do out here in the country, until the topic of jobs came up. After having a chat about possibly getting a part time job at the station, you received a rather uncomfortable handshake from said attendant. A gesture which stuck in your mind for some reason, as the second your hands linked, you suddenly grew a sore spot in your head.

When you arrived back to the Dojima residence, your evening was rather lightened thanks to a welcome dinner. Later on, Dojima popped off for work, after receiving an important message, leaving you, Yu, and Nanako. The three of you continued to watch tv. After a little while, your prominent headache grew worse. You finished your food before excusing yourself. "Hey Nanako, I'm feeling a little light headed, would you mind if I head to bed early?". 

"Not at all." Nanako smiled sweetly. "Oh, I'll help you with your stuff." She offered. You were flattered by her kindness, but you declined. "No, I think I'll be fine on my own, thank you."

You opened to your new room, instantly noticing the plethora of packed boxes. Yu's bed rested on one end of the room, while yours rested on the opposite side. Giving yourself a moment to breathe, you unpacked your bags, trying to fill the empty void that was the guest room.

The chore ended with you lounging yourself onto your new bed. The events of today replayed in your mind, and you found yourself more and more focused on the suspicious handshake. As if the connection of hands meant something more than it seemed. And with a small twitch of your palm, your eyelids grew heavier and heavier, putting yourself in a deep sleep.

* * *

04/12

The next morning you woke up early for school. Nanako gave you an especially made special breakfast for your first morning in the house.

After you arrived at school, a few problems became apparent. Unfortunately for you, Yu resided in the opposite class, leaving you completely on your own when it came to forming friendships. Well, at least you didn't have to deal with titled 'king moron'. It also didn't help that your morning was nothing short of boring. There was simply no other word to describe it. The drab nature of the teachers voice, the zombie-like students breathing out their answers - while at the same time lazily scratching out on their sheets. From the bland colours that complimented the room - It was safe to say you already knew exactly how you felt about your school-life. It wasn't exactly an understatement to say that you were over the moon when the tiresome classes were over.

After exiting your classroom you noticed Yu in the hallway, spotting him talking to two girls. Looks like he was already popular. Noticing that you were walking up, he called out to you "Hey (Y/N)!" The girls turned to look at you, and you got a full glimpse of them. One girl wore a green jacket, and sported a short haircut. The other radiated in her beauty, with her long black hair while wearing a lucious red uniform. "Who's this?" One of them asked. "She's my sister." He explained. You put on a cheery grin and began "Hi, I'm (Y/N) (L/N), it's nice to meet you." Pouring on a smile felt good after the morning you'd had. Really exercised your face muscles. Returning a smile, the short haired girl introduced herself. "I'm Chie Satonaka, and this is Yukiko Amagi." She gestured to the girl beside her. "Hello, it's nice to meet you too." Yukiko

Chie then proceeded to ask if the two of you wanted to walk home with her and Yukiko, to which you thoroughly accepted. Looks like you had the chance to make some friends after all. Walking down the lane, you briefly let your eyes wonder to the sights of Inaba. Although the town didn't have much to offer, you admitted that the views, and especially Mt. Yasogami, were beautiful. The conversation the four of you concocted while walking down the lane, was one of gossip and playful jokes (with one section specifically being about whether or not Yu thought one of the ladies were cute). When the road came to a head, a unaware of spine tingling sight that was waiting for you.

"Wow. Who could imagine THAT hanging from an antenna?"

Gold tape. Police cars. Staggered townsfolk. Chattering voices, and ambulances. It seemed that something exciting had occurred.

"Wait... What did she just say? A dead body!?" Chie's eyes widened. The sudden mention of a deceased corpse brought shock to all of your faces

and Yukiko turned her head away in fear. As if to contradict the Amagi's body language, you found yourself unable take your eyes off the crime scene. And it was only until a familiar face noticed your clique that you tore your gaze away. When you spotted Dojima walking towards you, you forged a look of surprise, attempting to hide how invested you were in the scene. "Hey, what're you doing here?" Dojima asked. Yu quickly chimed in "We were just passing by."

From the way he looked at you, you instantly knew Dojima caught your stare. The look that only parents give a guilty child for looking at something they shouldn't see. You honestly wondered how long you would have to wait until you admitted your horrid secret, but you hoped it wouldn't be this early in your stay. "Did something happen?" You asked, eyes wide. "Yeah, but I'd clear out of here before you get in our way." He gave a sharp stare. From that moment on, you hid your excited glares, keeping your body completely stiff. "That damn principal. We told him not to let them through here..." He face palmed. Chie nudged your arm "You know this guy?". "Yeah, he's our uncle." Yu explained. "I suggest you all stop wandering around and head straight home. You're gonna get in the way of police business." He gave another sharp glare. Obediently, you spoke "Okay." And Dojima turned around. But before he could walk away, a man wearing blue suit and brown loafers, sporting a crooked tie, came dashing through you, before kneeling down to vomit in the grass. Dojima scolded his co-worker "Adachi! How long are you going to act like a rookie? You want to be sent back to the central office!?" Although the man appeared to be in a puking position, oddly enough, you couldn't spot any physical vomit, which confused you.

Watching the two cops return to the scene, Chie had a change of mind "Hey Yukiko, why don't we go to Junes some other time?"

* * *

Dinner that night was mostly entertained by a news report on the crime you witnessed today, along with some cute singing provided by Nanako.  
Afterwards you headed to bed, wondering what other events would occur in the coming days.


	2. After Hours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the love on the first chapter! Apologies for this coming a little late, work has been a big hindrance. Hope you all enjoy this one :D

"Remind me why we're doing this again?" Yu yawned. "Because I'm bored and this seems like something which will stir up some fun." You shook him lightly.

It wasn't this often that you stayed up past 11 am, but the presence of a suspicious telly program caught you off guard. The afternoon earlier you were informed about the existence of 'the midnight channel', a supposed station that, unsurprisingly aired at 12 am, and specifically on rainy nights. The viewer is apparently supposed to see their soul mate if they look hard enough. Truth be told, this wasn't the first time you'd heard of the midnight channel, in fact some of your classmates were pretty chatty about it, with some of the boys commenting that the recently deceased announcer was their result. Yeah it sounded stupid, but it was worth a shot. And truth be told, you didn't want to get into any trouble with your uncle when you tried to satisfy your boredom.

"Come on, you can do it Yu!" You writhed in your excitement. "Why? It sounds stupid."

"Come on, I'll be a right hand witness, and who knows" you trailed your eyes. "Maybe some cute girls will wanna talk to a man who knows shady things." You knew his weakness. Even back at home Yu had developed into a babe magnet, guess he won the gene lottery. "You know me so well." He gave a defeated expression. You smirked "What can I say? All girls love a bad boy."

"Yeah alright, but how do we know if it's going to work?"

"Well, we'll know in three.....two.....on-" the sound of tv static and screeching winds blew you off. As if it was like magic, the television sprang to life, despite no powering cord. An image of a woman flickered on the screen. You couldn't make out who it was, though that hair undoubtedly was familiar. "Who is it? Who is it?" You excitedly watched from behind as Yu stared into the television, strangely silent.

Pushing him out of the way, you took a look at the tv, a large smirk sprouting on your face. You raised your fingers up to the screen, gently nudging the melting texture. Sticky glitchy substances flickered onto your hands, giving you a high feeling of excitement. Giggling with glee, you pulled your hand further inside, half-covering your forearm. You pulled it out, admiring the afterglow roaring on your fingers. Getting curious himself, Yu decided to mirror your actions, running his fingers through the glitchy mess. After going in up to his forearm, you broke your silence. "Take a look." Yu looked back at you in confusion "What?"

In an attempt to take control, and possibly get more information, your body moved on it's own. You grabbed a fistful of his hair and forcefully shoved him inside. "What can you see?" You asked. After receiving no response you pulled him out. Yu fell out of the tv, slightly dazed, making a loud noise when crashing on the table. After regaining his composure, he rubbed his head thoroughly, before snapping at you. "What was that for?" 

You laughed sheepishly "Sorry! I was just a little curious."

You were suddenly alerted of footsteps walking up to the door.  
"Shit!" He quietly swore. Her voice called out to you "Is everything alright in there?" Assuring yourself not to get caught, you took control of the situation. "Don't worry, I'll handle this." You whispered. "I'm alright Nanako, I just have a habit of falling out of my bed when I'm dreaming. I'm fine, honestly."

"Are you sure?"

"As sure as I could ever be."

"Well, good night." You heard her feet walk back to her room. "Sweet dreams!" And with that, the two of you headed back to bed.

* * *

The next morning, you gathered your friends, and discussed the events of the previous night. Most of you agreed that there was definitely a human figure on the screen, however when you alerted your friends about your experience, you received a mocking response. 

Yosuke, your newly acquainted companion, shot you a look of slight amusement. Chie on the other hand, couldn't stop laughing at your story. "Seriously, what kind of reality trauma causes you to dream about shoving your brother into your tv?" She chortled. 

Yu had brushed off his side of the story, despite your pleas. You pouted, disappointed that Yu doubted your story. The following conversation transmorphed into talking about tv sales, to which Chie stated she would view the Junes catalogue, giving you a sarcastic invitation to prove your power. On the way to the school gate, you chatted with Chie. Behind you was Yosuke, having a mirroring chat with Yu. "Seriously? Is she like this at home?" You heard him briefly say.

When you arrived at Junes, Chie instantly ran up to the electronics ile with glee. "Wow! Look at all these!" 

After trying to put his own hand in a tv, Yosuke went to give Chie a tour of the electronics, the two of them becoming lost in a conversation of prices and conditions. Yu himself decided to take a look at some of the machinery laying around, leaving you standing around thinking. You looked at the rather large tv in front of you, pondering at the empty space. In a last attempt to prove that last night's incident was real, you brushed your fingers against the shiny surface. And to your amazement, you were right. After making your discovery, you called out to your companions. "Guys! Come here!" 

Chie didn't even notice you'd called, instead she was too focused on a cooking channel displaying on the model telly. Yosuke walked over, curiously "What is it?" He asked. "Guess." You motioned to the tv.  
"You wanna keep going on about that? (F/N), Did you take anything before you came here?" Yosuke grinned. 'Like you'd know anything about that.' You thought. "Look, just watch." You replied. 

The instant your hand fell inside the screen, the look on his face shifted from amusement to shock. "Hey Yosuke, do you think this'll-" Chie's face mirrored Yosuke's when her eyes trailed to your situation. "Woah!" 

Desperate for answers, Yosuke went up to Yu. "Yu, you have a lot of explaining to do!" Yosuke grabbed him by his shoulders, making the boy confused. "What?"

Feeling a teensy bit curious, you stuck your head inside the tv. The two boys walked on the scene shortly after. "(F/N), what are you doing!" 

Fog. Complete fog. All your eyes could see. You couldn't see the floor, so you assumed you must be pretty high up. Meanwhile on the other side, Yu was trying his best to get you out. Using the best of your strength, you managed to pull the rest of your body inside, falling to the ground with a loud thud.

Getting yourself off the floor, you took a look around. From what you could see (or lack thereof), your surroundings closely resembled a tv studio. With camera stands and equipment you'd find in a professional dark room. A few seconds later your friends followed suit, crash landing right beside you. You helped your brother up. "Are you alright?" He asked, looking at you protectively. "I'm okay."

"Good. You guys?" He directed his attention towards the others. Chie looked up. "Where are we?"

In the afternoon that proceeded, the four of you investigated the foreign environment, in the process coming across a creepy room detailing pictures of a familiar figure. 

It seemed that the area itself had a specific theme, with black and red portals appearing in a few places.

Following a teasing conversation involving Yosuke's bladder, the four of you ran into a strange looking creature, with similar features to that of a bear. After conversing with said creature, you were given an exit.

Truth be told, you didn't want to leave. Infact, if it was your choice you would have stayed for hours investigating the area. It felt very exciting.

* * *

The next morning wasn't planned to be as exciting as it ended up being, but one thing led to another, and you found yourself in the school gym, waiting for the arrival of bad news.

Saki Konishi was dead.

The instant the news hit his ears, Yosuke bolted to Junes, desperate to hear answers about his deceased love. Standing with a club in one hand, and some rope in the other, he gave you your orders to stand by, while Yu and himself investigate on the other side.

After the two of them left, Chie unfortunately broke the connection between the two words after a rope detachment accident, giving the poor girl a panic attack. This left you and Chie simply standing. After forcing out words of encouragement, you managed to calm her down.

Minutes turned to hours, and standing around became another job to do (literally). "How long are they going to take?" Chie whined. "I think I'll faint before they return."

She turned to you "Hey, (F/N), you think you could get some snacks? All this standing around is making me hungry."

Agreeing with her, you decided to take action and leave the scene. "Alright, I think I'll take a look around while I'm at it. I'll be back in a sec."

"Thank you!" She smiled. You took the time you needed and had a mooch. You were surprised about how well designed the shop was, well, for the most part. Had some bland colours mixed in. Along with picking up some snacks and drinks, you had a look in the magazine ile, looking to see if there was a new issue of your favourite brand.

Walking back to meet the others, you pulled out an object from your bag. One of the things in your daily life that you constantly craved, along with...other things. Your true crime magazine.

Crime itself was a secret interest for you. It was your (somewhat) guilty pleasure. You'd brought several magazines on your journey to inaba from home, most of them being ones that you illegally bought, and then proceeded to hide from your entire family.

Some years Dojima would come to visit your family during your childhood (alongside his now deceased wife), and he would often discuss cases He'd solved or had problem solving. All the 'adult chats' you'd eavesdrop on as a kid were more interesting than anything kids your age could offer. 

When you heard the news you'd be staying with him, you got somewhat excited at the thought of having the opportunity to be close to a crime scene. Even when you got as close as you did to the scene of the announcer's death, you got somewhat excited. On the other hand, Dojima finding out about your previous crimes could be somewhat of a hindrance, he is your uncle, after all.

As you continued to flick through the pages, you felt a looming presence behind you. You slowly turned around. Seeing nothing, you turned back. A hand reached out from nowhere to grope your shoulder.

"Hey! You're (L/N)-san, correct?"

Turning around yet again, you instantly recognised the figure in front of you. The man who caught your eye at the recent crime scene. The one that was always the victim of your uncle's yelling: Adachi. 

"Oh hey! Jeez, I'm almost surprised you recognised me out here, I'm usually a ghost when it comes to authority." Blushing slightly, you rubbed your neck sheepishly, hiding your secret obsession behind your back. "Well, unlucky for you, I'm pretty good at remembering faces." He gave a friendly grin. "So you're Dojima-san's niece, right?"  
You nodded "Yeah, my brother and I are staying here for a little while with him."

"He's told me about it, he speaks very fondly of your family." He paused. "Though, moving from the city to here can be tough, personally I'm not into country life myself."

"Oh, tell me about it!"

Your response caught him off guard, a moment of silence filling the air before he continued. "Well, regardless I hope you enjoy your stay."

"So, what are you doing here? Buying snacks?" He asked. From the way he kept subtlety looking over your shoulder, It was pretty obvious that he was eyeing the magazine behind your back.  
"No, I'm just hanging out with friends." 

Dividing his gaze away from your backside, you changed the subject, putting the spotlight on him. "Hey, shouldn't you be working right now?"

Bullseye.

"Oh, I'm working! In fact, I'm about to interview a person of the interest about the murder this morning." Acting defensive, he continued, "We've had multiple suspicious people coming in already, yet no sign of a definitive perp, so I'm stuck here interviewing witnesses."

You then continued to chat with him about the recent case. The more you talked to him, the more you found yourself becoming attracted to him.

After a few more minutes of chatting, reality decided to make its way back. "Hey! (F/N)-chan!" Chie yelled, running in your direction. Adachi turned towards you. "Is that your friend?" You nodded. "Well, I guess I'll leave you be, see you around." He exited with a grin.

"What were you doing talking with that detective?" She asked. "We were just talking about my uncle."

"Oh yeah! He's his partner isn't he?"

Your conversation was interrupted by a loud crash nearby. "There you are!" Chie instantly ran back towards the model tv. The two boys sat on the floor dizzy, worn out, and looked beat. "I think you owe us both an apology." She growled. "What kind of brother makes his sister wait for hours on end without notice?"

The boys gave their apologies, and explained their experience. About how Yu fought 'shadows', and how the two of them gained a 'persona'. 

You went home letting the day end peacefully, unaware of what you would face in the coming days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the length of this one, hope this was worth the wait ❤ You can follow me on tumblr @ OBRGSHFTR for more writings, and updates on fics (As I'm more active there).


	3. A Courted Desire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya! Sorry this took so long to come out, work has been a big strain on me. I've been hesitant to post this chapter due to it's heavy themes. I also had several drafts for thjs chapter, which is probably why its so cluttered.
> 
> Before this chapter starts I’d like to clear up some confusion: this story follows vanilla p4, with only small fragments of p4g (mainly Adachi's slink).
> 
> Side note: been playing PQ and enjoying the fuck out of itl

In the process of a few days, many events occurred. Ever since the moment the boys stepped out of the television, you were greeted with an overload of information. Information, that no matter what, you couldn't get out of your head. It also didn’t help that whenever you turned on the tv, all the headlines centered around the recent murders. Seems like the media had come out of its brick state. Since the recent rain and hail had no signs of stopping, your group was obliged to continue to watch the midnight channel. Despite being previously uninterested, Yu seemed to be intrigued by the supernatural force. He explained that apparently people who appear on the midnight channel have connections to the other world, and that someone may have been pushing people in there, leading the creatures that live there to kill them. You tried to pry more information out of him, but he refused.

When daybreak hit, another figure appeared on the screen. In this situation, you could immediately tell who it was. Although the shady figure was facing backwards, that hair and that kimono was a strong indicator of the black silhouette’s owner. Yukiko was interviewed on tv just hours ago, so it wouldn’t be a stretch to forge a connection. After testing to see if your signature hand trick worked, the two of you went to bed.

The next morning you walked to school as normal, but your attire looked somewhat unusual, obviously thanks to the lack of sleep. Yu on the other hand, looked much rougher. Usually when the pair of you walked to your old school, your appearances highly contrasted each other, mostly because of your varied fashion senses (or at least, the dress codes you managed to get away with). Being that you didn’t have much of a resemblance to your brother, most of the other students would often mistake the pair of you as close friends. 

The most differentiating features that would normally be highlighted were the conditions of your clothing and your hygiene. Your dark, slightly rumpled clothing and the apparent bags under your eyes defined you in the eyes of others. In the case of your brother, it was his sly neatness and confidence that made him popular. Hell, your classmates even went as far as to nickname the two of you as the ‘Yin and Yan’ siblings, which you found quite flattering. But in this moment, something was off. His sleeves were uneven, his shirt looked semi creased, and his hair was noticeably messy. “Are you alright? You look kinda rough.”

“I’m fine. ‘Just a bit sleepy.” You knew what that was code for. “Lemme guess, another nightmare?” He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Close.”

'Knew it.', Speaking about each other's dreams was almost a nightly ritual when the two of you were kids, and it usually happened when one of you had trouble sleeping. Yu in particular had spoken about having weird dreams before, and it was always an interesting tale. Whether it had a simple location or a bland plot, a piece of his mind would create something to lighten the colours up. As a naive 12 year old, you once told him that he would be a great storyteller, due to how creative his dreams were, and today's description was no different. “What’s it this time?” He described a fantastical realm, a blue hued limousine driving to an unknown location. He mentioned two other people being in the dream, but he couldn't picture them. Although, he remembered one of them looked quite odd. Before you could joke about the strange illusion, your conversation was interrupted by a certain school boy. 

"Yo!" Yosuke, who wheeled himself in shockingly carefully this time, eagerly greeted the two of you. He turned to you “My apologies about yesterday, (F/N). We didn't mean to worry you like that.” You gave a light smile. "Apology accepted."

He then proceeded to theorise and speculate about who could've been on the tv last night, though he specifically didn't mention Yukiko. Halfway through the conversation, specifically when you asked about tv world, Yu suddenly shot Yosuke a very strange look, no different from that of a disappointed parent. Seeing said look, Yosuke suddenly clamped up. “Hey, (F/N), you wouldn’t mind If your brother and I talk for a few minutes?”

“That’s fine, see you at break!” On the way to the classroom, you spotted Chie in the hallways, looking rather cluttered. Although a small part of your mind wandered why she was acting so strange, you thought it was best to leave her be. Settling your bag onto your desk, you could hear the other students whispering about the shadow that appeared last night. As if the atmosphere wasn’t heavy enough. It was times like this where you were delighted to know more than the people around you. It kinda created a feeling of power. Cutting you off from your short-lived fantasy, Chie rushed into the room, a worried expression following her in. Her eyes scanned the room before hurriedly making her way to your seat. "Hi Chie!"

"H-Hey.." Despite her clammered look, she put on a weak smile, though it was pretty easy to see through. “Are you okay?” You asked. She nodded. "Y-Yeah I'm fine."

“Did you see Yukiko on your way here?”

“No.”

“Hey...Do you think that stuff the guys were talking about was for real?...The stuff about people being thrown in tvs.” It was pretty obvious what she was trying to imply, and you couldn't blame her. With all the similarities to your own theory, it was hard to remain quiet. "Do you think that was her?" Her eyes widened, and her worried expression grew, causing her body to tremble. “You think so too?!" 

"I got worried, so I tried calling her cell, but it went straight to voicemail. I emailed her this morning, but she hasn’t responded. She did tell me yesterday she'd be at school though.” Several pictures were already being painted in your head of possible scenarios, but you couldn't really say for sure. One thing was for sure though, something was up. After attempting to ring Yukiko's cell, no response came. There was only one other option to pick. "Have you tried calling the inn?"

Chie hesitated for a moment before latching her fingers onto the keypad. After a few seconds of dialling, someone picked up. And thankfully that someone was Yukiko. After finishing her check, Chie hung up, giving a big sigh of relief as she snapped her phone shut. Unsurprisingly, Yukiko was helping out at the inn, and would be continuing her work there tomorrow. "God, how stupid are we?" She joked. "We were getting worried over nothing."

Something about the way she said those words didn’t feel right. By her tone of voice, Chie seemed like she didn’t believe Yukiko would be safe for any longer, but put on a smile to convince herself otherwise.

Although you'd had confirmation that Yukiko was safe, there was still that small doubt that something could occur, so you informed the boys about what happened. As expected, they had a similar reaction to yours, so it naturally led to meeting up at Junes once again. When you all arrived there, Yu took a few minutes to toy with the creature residing on the other side, making sure that nobody was on the other side (which there wasn't).

You were pretty eager to do some exploring in the tv, to see if the areas were as mystical as you heard they were, but you were advised against it, not only because of the apparent dangers (and the unexpected Junes sale), but also because it rained the previous night, and was due to rain tonight, so therefore it was best for you all to sit back and watch the screen. 

And you weren’t disappointed with what showed up. When the clock rang and the screen lit up, Yukiko appeared, confirming your theory. The manner in which she appeared though was odd. For starters, the programme resembled a romantic game show, topped up with cheesy sound effects and subtitles. She was dressed in a princess outfit lined up with roses. She was speaking with a seductive tone, and talking about 'stud-hunting'. She was practically begging viewers to come find her. When it was over you both felt pretty awkward, considering what you’d both seen. Yosuke was pretty quick to ring up, and it seemed he was also stuck under the princess’ spell.

* * *

The next day, all of you agreed to meet up at Junes, with plans to investigate, but after an embarrassing incident involving illegal weapons, you were robbed of any sort of defense. Chie, being fond of ancient arts, directed the three of you to a small shop: Daidara Metalworks. You picked out a few weapons of your choice (spending a fraction of your pocket money), and you were set. Though, unfortunately none of you were ready to officially investigate so that had to wait.

When you arrived home you bolted straight to your room, carrying the bags containing the (most-likely illegal) weapons. From outside the door you could hear Nanako talking with Yu, confused as to why you were protective over such odd looking packages. You placed the bags on your bed, taking a minute to ponder about where to place them. When buying the instruments themselves, the question of hiding them had come up fairly frequently.

Chie had suggested that while in public, you could hide them under your uniforms, which everyone somewhat agreed upon. Hiding weapons in your household however, was a whole other situation, and unfortunately just sliding them under your bed wouldn't be an option. Unbeknownst to you before now, there was a small storage closet sandwiched between your room and the upstairs bathroom. It was grey, a dim contrast to the light green parading the entire house. It didn't give off much a presence, which is probably why it was so forgettable.

A few days after you arrived in Inaba, you'd lazily asked about 'the door next to our rooms', but forgot about it shortly after. Returning to your memory, an idea sparked in your head.

Running your fingers across the swollen wood, you reached for the knob. A wave of dust hit you as you opened the door. Small dusty cobwebs were still attached to the door, almost tripping you up as you stepped inside. You turned on the light. There was nothing much inside, with the only contents being cleanup tools and old boxes. Near your feet lay four small white plastic tubs containing old clothes, books and antiques. The cardboard boxes either side of you were wide open, with more old items inside. Clearly nobody had been inside here for a long time, due to the whiteness of the dust lying on top. Squished behind a close box was an old photo album. You briefly looked inside it. Inside the first dusty page were half broken black and white pictures, most of which contained relatives you'd never seen before. After skimming through a few more pages, you finally came across pictures of people you'd recognise. Here was a collection of childhood photos of your mother and Dojima, looking more happier then they were today. The picture that stood out the most to you was the one where the pair were fishing in the country-side as children, you silently awed. After the pages dedicated to the childhood photos, there started to appear more and more blank spots where photos had been removed. Lightly tucked between some unfilled pages were some loose unused pictures: The first picture was of your aunt, uncle, and cousin, taken quite recently. The second was a baby shot of Nanako, after she’d been born. You closed the book. 

At the back of the room were more boxes, however, unlike the small tubs at the entrance these boxes were taped up. You could only imagine what was inside them. From the way the room was structured, you could easily hide a few weapons behind boxes. And with Dojima being absent so often, you wouldn't have to worry about anyone walking in. If only you had more time. “Are you okay?” A small voice cooed. Nanako was standing near the stairs, looking up at you in confusion. You nodded at her, and smiled. She informed you that dinner was ready, so you had to postpone your mini investigation for now. At least now you’d found a (somewhat suitable) place to hide your tools.

* * *

Meeting up at Junes once again the next morning, you fully prepared yourself for another exploration. And although the boys had previously warned the two of you about the dangers within the other world, Chie seemed pretty insistant about taking a shot, so you followed.

"I don't care! I'm going."

After everyone had finished their lunch, you made your way back into the store. The trip to the tv section was anything but quiet, the most noise unsurprisingly coming from Chie. She was constantly mumbling to herself, swearing that she'd get whoever did this to her best friend. As soon as it seemed like no one was looking, everyone got out their weapons and went in one by one. Admittedly, you were pretty excited, so you walked just a little faster than usual. But just as you were getting ready to walk into the screen, Yu grabbed hold of your arm. “You don’t have to do this.” There he goes again with his overprotectiveness. “I’ll be fine.” There was some doubt in your own words. Even if you made it pass the entrance, you still wouldn't be able to see what would be coming towards you. Still, whatever remaining confidence you had took full force. You took his hand and looked him in the eyes. "I want you to trust me."

After a brief pause, you made your way inside the tv. Falling through the tight screen, you took in whatever sight you could, though the obvious fog was blocking most of your vision. Unlike you and Chie, the boys wore some very unique glasses, which allowed them to view the area. The strange bear from before appeared, calling himself 'Teddie'. He guided and accompanied your group on the way to the castle. Despite the fact that the building itself obviously was an illusion (and the fog was covering most of it up), it looked so real. In a way, it looked like one of the castles you'd see in a fairytale. Filled with adrenaline and desperation, Chie mindlessly ran away into the endless void. Now there was no choice but to go inside. Yu motioned to you. "(F/N), stay behind me." 

You did as you were told, putting yourself behind Yu and letting Teddie linger at the back. Because of the fact that you weren't wearing the magic glasses, your vision was obviously hindered, but you managed to walk as long as you could see your brother. The real problems started to occur when the shadows showed up from behind the corner. Speaking of shadows, despite your attempts to sneak around them, it didn't take very long until you got into your first battle. As soon as it started, you were instantly handed over to Teddie, preventing you from seeing the action. But that didn't stop you from trying to sneak a peek, and when you did see something, it looked interesting. The deformed appearances that the shadows took, their actions and abilities, it was fascinating to watch. 

Eventually your own curiosity got the better of you, as most often than not, you were the cause of a few battles. Of course you were scolded afterwards, but you blamed it on the fog. The more you walked, the more you felt dreary. It was like a strong heaviness weighing on your heart. There was no doubt this was because of the fog. After a while you found yourself tripping over your own feet, so Yu ended up having to carry you along the hallways.

After searching the first two floors, you finally found Chie. Echoes of Yukiko's voice filled the halls, completely controlling Chie. 

"She's bright and strong, and she can do anything. She has everything that I don't."

She was loopy, staring into space like a lost dog, completely distracted. The words stringing the air sucked on her mind like a leech. “Yukiko…” She aired. This must've been fragments of Yukiko's psyche. After a brief moment, the tables were turned; when an unexpected voice pierced the silence, and a figure stepped out of the darkness. A very familiar figure. It was kin to a live mirror, reflecting Chie's consciousness to a T. Well, all except the eyes. It looked like her, sounded like her, even had the essence of her, but It wasn’t her. It was a figure seemingly created by Chie's thoughts. This must be the ‘shadow self’ the others mentioned.

"I'm not only a failure as a person, I'm a failure as a woman." It was an odd thing to watch, specifically from a different point of view. If Yosuke's reactions were anything to go off of, this conversation was not headed in a good direction. "Chie, no!" The horrified girl stood back in shock. "You're not me!"

In response, her clone laughed maniacally, creating a lump of energy that expanded into something big. Was this the rowdiness that the boys were talking about? Like with the other battles, Teddie took instant action by stepping in front of you and a cowering Chie. Because of the power wielded by the shadow, it took awhile for the boys to actually get a hit on it, and when they did, it would give a lot of damage, but enough to weaken it. After a few more minutes, nothing much really happened. And although it was hard to pull your eyes away from the horrific being creating the chaos, your senses leaned more towards Yu. He was hurt. And this wasn't like the other battles, during the other battles, a simple hit would give a small rash or sometimes even a scratch. But this was different. Instead of slaps, he was given punches and hard hittings. Instead of red marks, he was gifted bruises. He was being beaten. 

“I am thou.” A strange voice echoed throughout your mind. “Thou art I.” The dampness in your chest was replaced by a sudden urge, an urge of strength. It was like the power was cowering towards you. A blue object slowly drifted down from the sky. As it grew closer, you could clearly see the item in full view. It was a card. It looked exactly like something Yu had described when talking about his dream. You took hold of it, and a majestic wave took control of your body. In this strange awakening to your new power, you lost a sense of stability. Although the fog was strong and unreadable, you could somewhat see the shadowy figure that was looming above you, and it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what it was. 

It was your persona.

"What the-" Chie screamed. Hearing her screams, Yosuke mindlessly turned his head. Instantly noticing your attire, his mouth fell open. He shakily tapped Yu's shoulder. Your brother's reaction was similar to that of the boy beside him. Your fingers moved on their own, using a force unknown to your mind. It was like an undiscovered button in your brain was suddenly clicked and released a floodgate of energy. You did your best, and used whatever strength you could in the moment to fight the shadow. Occasionally using your weapon to give some extra damage.

By the time you were finished there was even more damage on the floor than earlier. The shadow wasn't defeated, but you'd done your part. From all the energy you burnt off, a strong sizzle settled inside your brain. Your body was aching all over. The combinated mix of your newly awakened persona and the toxic air, sent your mind into a heavy spiral. Your ears began to ring as your vision slowly faded. Despite the loud noise exploding your eardrums, you could hear someone running towards you.

And then everything went black.

* * *

The blackness continued. Creating a familiar sense of security and environmental energy. There was no denying it, this was your headspace. The place where your mind had come to rest. The place that would only exist for a few moments before your dreams took over. But usually, you never had much control, which is why it was surprising that you could somehow move. The blackness developed into a galactic scene, mimicking the night sky. With small stars decorating everything above. The only thing out of the ordinary was the presence of thick mist, which strayed all around you. Taking one step forward, you looked towards the distance. There was a small light illuminating an area faraway. 

You walked hurriedly towards it, the blob of light getting bigger and bigger as you got closer. You finally reached the brightness, only to realise that it wasn't an object at all. It was a white figure faced backwards. It was hard to distinguish a gender, but nonetheless, you reached a hand out to get their attention. "Excuse me!"

No response. Was it even a person? A sudden ray of whiteness - similar to what you thought the person was - raided the room, causing the mysterious figure to turn around, revealing a familiar face (and a pretty one at that). They smiled at you, raising a hand. The sight gave you a feeling of deja vu, but you couldn't really pin down what it was reminding you of. Struggling to get your thoughts together, you took your own hand and intertwined it with theirs. "Do you want it?" They asked. 'Want what? A free voucher? A two course dinner? Homemade tea?' It was safe to say you were now more confused that you were when you were conscious.

"Y-yes?" A soundful click went off, and an even larger wave of white surrounded you. It sunk into your skin and clouded your vision - a stark contrast to the black that it once was. The last thing you felt in this strange illusion, was a sharp weight inside your heart.

* * *

You were woken up by a strong stinging on your forehead. You opened your eyes to see the ceiling. The bright light that clouded your mind was gone. The feeling of your warm bed took you back to your senses. You took a moment to observe your surroundings. You looked down at your arms. By the looks of things, you had been patched up, several plasters decorating your skin. Among the bandages, there were light bruises and small cuts, and despite the stature, they hurt. Your legs looked somewhat different, being that some of the bruises looked redder, and it also seemed that you scraped your knee (most likely from all the falling). Your dinner was wrapped in clean film on your bedside table, waiting to be eaten. To its side was a small glass of water. Looking at the nearby window, it was clear you had been out for some time. A myriad of questions hit your head, but the sudden opening of the bedroom door pulled you away from your thoughts. "Are you okay?" Yu asked. "Pretty much." You rubbed your throbbing forehead. "How long have I been out?"

He propped up a nearby stool and sat on it. "A few hours." You let out a sigh of relief. For a second there it looked like you came out of a semi-coma. He leaned forward to check your temperature. A satisfied breath escaped his lips. “Did you call a doctor?”

"Yeah, he said you should rest for a while."

You started to eat some of your food, working up from the crumbs to the slightly bigger crumbs. "What happened?" He then explained what happened earlier; Apparently after you fainted, Yosuke managed to give the shadow a final blow to bring it down. After the defeat, Chie accepted her shadow, gaining a persona of her own, similar to what happened to Yosuke. There was a brief moment of silence. "I really wore myself out didn't I?" He nodded. "When I first got my persona I felt similar, but I guess the stress of the fog weighed your head down a bit." From the corner of your eye you could see Nanako huddling behind the door frame, curiously peeping into your conversation. His gaze followed yours, finding the small girl. As expected, she hid her face in embarrassment. "It's okay, Nanako."

She walked out from behind the frame with a worried look, hands over her mouth. She stepped towards the two of you, but stopped halfway through. Yu lightly took her shoulder and guided her closer to you. "She's alright, see?" He pointed at you. "(F/N) just felt light-headed that's all." Her expression relaxed ever so slightly. She took something out of her back pocket, and handed it to you. It was a get-well-soon card, complete with a small drawing of you. "Aww, thank you. That's so sweet of you." She made a small noise of approval at your response, the corners of her lips visibly turning into a smile. After you'd had enough to eat, you gave the leftover plate to Yu, but left the water, just in case you needed a drink. Before taking Nanako to bed, he took one last second to look at you. "Are you sure you're okay?" You nodded, to which he smiled. "If you need anything, just call. Get some rest for me, okay?"

"I will."

* * *

The next day, yet again, your small investigation team hosted a lunch at Junes. Chie gave a congratulatory hug for your excellent recovery, while also detailing her acceptance of her own shadow. Although most of the preceding conversation was mostly about Yukiko's safety, there would often be times where the topic would be changed to talking about the mystery of 'the (L/N)'s shadows'. Out of everyone in your newly created group, you and your brother didn’t have to face a shadow. Which was obviously odd, but in a way you were thankful. You couldn’t imagine what would happen if your secrets were on full display for your new friends to see. Yosuke teased, saying that your family must have some strong genes, which he added with a wink. But despite all his nagging and outward teasing, one thing shone in your mind regarding the prince of Junes. During your lunch, the four of you discussed your experience with shadows and Yosuke’s in particular interested you. The way he tried to satisfy his own boredom by taking advantage of a strange situation - just like you.

Finding someone who just shared similar interests with you was rare to find. He was from the city. He was bored. He went inside the tv for the same reasons as you, and yet his mindset was mildly cleared. You've had an obsession with boredom since your early childhood. Most of the times you got into trouble at school were because your brain was unsatisfied. Yu himself purposefully got into trouble just to play with you in detention. Back in your hometown, most kids didn't really care that much, or understand your mindset, and their parents blamed your emotions on your hormones (and to an extent they were involved in your younger years). But you surely knew your boredom wasn't normal, you needed satisfaction. Said satisfaction came in the form of many things over the years. But the big thing it was all leading up to, came in the form of small packages. The thought of taking something to excite yourself hadn't ever crossed your mind before, well, that was until you heard about other students in your school doing it, not necessarily for the same reasons as you, but they still took them anyway.

So you gave in to your classmates' secrecy, and took in some substances. And it was fun, for a while, until the excitement stopped and your boredom striked again. At that point, it was rare that you ever shot yourself up. However, It all came to a head one evening after school. It was an hour where you lost control. A few hours earlier you had to go through an annoying day at school, and you had to release some steam. It had been a few weeks after you had taken your last shot, you hadn't intended to be fully cleansed, but the thought did cross your mind. But still, you had only a few bits of substance left, bits that needed to be used. But, just as you were aligning your tool against your skin, you were suddenly interrupted. Yu had walked into your room. And on that day, your big secret was revealed. The instant he saw the scene in front of him, Yu had grown mental scars. The image of you vulnerably sitting on the floor, in a shaky state, looking no different than a small helpless animal, with a tool in hand, preparing to do an awful action, It stuck onto his mind like a leech, and he absolutely hated it. That sight, that horrible sight. It horrified him. He promised not to tell your parents if you told him the truth. He listened to your story, and comforted you.

And since that night, Yu had made it his duty to make you happy, whether it was a small smirk or a light laugh, he tried his best to make you smile. Before then, he was a boy of few words, but after your confession, he changed. Hell, he developed a hobby of making origami cranes, which he gave to you in school whenever you were feeling stressed or upset. He'd organise family gatherings, despite your unenthusiastic responses, and would invite you to join him in some outside activities and trips. In a way, he became your personal therapist, listening to all your problems, giving you advice on dealing with school. Anything he could do that would prevent you going into your depressive state, he did. Months have passed since then, and in that time, you've become fully clean, and are in, some higher spirits. But that didn't stop Yu from becoming extremely overprotective of you and the people you saw.

After you'd eaten your lunch, you parted ways. Due to the fact that you and Chie had newly awakened personas, you'd both been excused from tomorrow's investigation, but would come back the next day.

* * *

Since it was your day off, you took the time to relax. After having a rest for a while, you were awoken by the announcement of dinner. Yu had come home early, looking especially worn out. Nanako prepared the food, and turned on the tv. Before you could sit down to eat, Yu silently called you to the kitchen. He briefly made small talk before getting to the point. The whole time he had been in the house, he was clearly hiding something, and now it was time to reveal it. Standing tall in the kitchen, with the mysterious object behind his back, he spoke. "I am letting you have these, if you promise to walk astray." You gulped, preparing to respond. "I promise." His hands came forward to reveal a small pair of glasses shaded in your favourite colour. "Your very own. Come tomorrow you're officially a member of the investigation team."

Not knowing what else to do or say, you dived in for a hug. "T-thank you." One thing you knew for sure, was that tomorrow was going to be an exciting day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!, If you want some story updates and one offs (as well as some mixed interests), you can follow me on tumblr @ OBRGSHFTR
> 
> (PS: YesIknowYuHadaFutonShutUp.)


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